Deshaun Watson Won't Play for Texans vs. Jaguars in Week 1

Houston Texans head coach David Culley announced Deshaun Watson won't play in Sunday's season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The announcement comes after general manager Nick Caserio said Wednesday on Sports Radio 610's Payne & Pendergast he "wouldn’t expect [Watson] to play" (via ESPN's Adam Schefter). Caserio added that the Texans will "recalibrate as we go" regarding Watson's status.

On Monday, Culley confirmed Tyrod Taylor as the Week 1 starter.

Watson's future in Houston was thrown into doubt after Schefter reported in January he had requested a trade.

The three-time Pro Bowler is also facing 22 civil lawsuits from women accusing him of sexual assaulting or sexually harassing them during massage sessions. Ten women have also filed formal complaints with police in Houston, including two who have not filed civil lawsuits.

Watson is under investigation by the FBI, Houston police and the NFL.

The NFL has yet to suspend Watson or place him on the commissioner's exempt list, which leaves him available to suit up for the Texans. His ongoing legal situation makes it unlikely that happens for the time being, though.

Schefter reported in May that some believe Watson won't play at all in 2021 and that his time in Houston is effectively over. With his status still in flux in the absence of an NFL ruling, Sarah Barshop of ESPN said in August the team may continue to leave him on the active roster but make him a healthy scratch each week.

The Athletic's Aaron Reiss wrote Tuesday, "It remains a matter of when, not if, the Texans will trade the disgruntled quarterback."

The Texans selected Stanford's Davis Mills in the third round of the 2021 draft. Mills—not Watson—would presumably run the offense should Taylor get injured or benched.